


Of Grief and Loss

by Officer_Jennie



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [21]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Grief/Mourning, M/M, Trans Character, non-binary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 02:26:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17972693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Officer_Jennie/pseuds/Officer_Jennie
Summary: “You’d think after over a decade I’d be numb to this shit.”





	Of Grief and Loss

Madara’s side of the bed had already begun to cool by the time Tobirama rolled over and reached blindly for his partner. The lack of a body next to him didn’t click right away, face buried in his pillow and hand patting at the space where the covers had been pushed to the side.

Turning and squinting while rubbing the sleep from his eyes cleared up the absence, though it did nothing to explain why night-owl-Madara had gotten up before the sun had peeked in through the curtains.

It only took a second of concentration to sense the bonfire of chakra in the living room. Madara’s chakra had felt subdued the past few days, however, and it seemed that day was no exception to that trend; Tobirama gave himself just enough time to stretch before tossing the covers off himself, throwing on a shirt and grabbing his glasses as he made his way to see his lover.

Madara say huddled in the corner of their sofa, a kunai in hand and eyes focused a thousand miles away. No bead was to be found in that black hair yet that morning. Tobirama pushes the part hanging in front of Madara’s face away, leaning in to kiss Madara’s forehead.

“What color today?”

His question didn’t seem to sink in for a few moments, Madara frowning as the kunai was tilted back and forth, glinting in the light.

“Grey.”

Tobirama left to get the bead without another word. The two wooden, decorative beads, gifts from Hashirama from a few years back, sat on the bedside table. Leaving its maroon counterpart behind, Tobirama padded his way back down the hall, sitting in front of Madara to work the grey bead into their hair.

Silence stretched in the morning hour, the air thick with an emotion Tobirama had no name for. It was something he’d come to expect this time of year, noticing over the years they’d been together that March held some significance to Madara. He’d yet to ask what that significance was, used to simply stepping back and giving his partner the space they needed.

Having only moved in a few months before, Tobirama had yet to witness the quiet moments Madara needed in late March. He scooted closer to them, drawing their legs up over his lap, hoping to offer what comfort he could.

A half hour must have past before Madara spoke. Their voice was soft in a way that spoke of sadness, small in a way that tore at Tobirama’s heart.

“Some years are better than others...” They stared down at the kunai in their hands, running a single finger over the flat of the steel. “You’d think after over a decade I’d be numb to this shit.” Madara took a slow breath through their nose, turning to Tobirama with hardly concealed grief in their dark eyes. “Do you still miss your father?”

Tobirama shook his head. “Butsuma was not a kind man. I held no love for him in my heart.” He placed a hand over the ones holding the old kunai, cupping Madara’s cheek with the other. “Is that was ails you, love? Your late father, I mean.”

A grunt was his answer. Madara pulled closer, putting an end to the conversation as they buried into Tobirama’s arms. He took the hint as needed, wrapping his partner up close to rest his chin on top their head. Little could be done but be there for them, and with the rays of light finally reaching in through the window he knew they had at least a few hours to just be. To simply exist in the quiet hours before the village woke around them, and take the time to lick old wounds that were too stubborn to ever heal.

**Author's Note:**

> Brief Note: Tajima's birthday is listed as March 28th


End file.
